The Small Steps of Giant Leaps: How Consistency and Connection Lead to Success

The Small Steps of Giant Leaps: How Consistency and Connection Lead to Success

In life, one of the most beneficial skills we can learn is how to consistently put ourselves in a good position. It's the ordinary choices that guarantee a strong future that often go unnoticed. There is no pat on the back for doing the right thing, just as there is no slap on the wrist for doing the wrong thing. Not doing the obvious thing we know we should do, the thing that positions us for future success, rarely hurts us right away. But it's the small choices we make on a daily basis that either work for us or against us.

Time amplifies what we feed it. For our choices to compound, we need to be consistent. Intensity may carry us in the short term, but if we want compounding results, we need consistency. A lack of consistency keeps ordinary people from extraordinary results. If we want to see results, we need to be willing to pay the price. And that price is both easier and harder than we imagine. It's consistently doing the small choices that put us on the path to success for years. It's knowing that time is working on our side, even when the results don't show it... yet.

This concept of consistency and taking small steps towards success reminds me of the idea of being 1% better than we were yesterday. If we consistently improve ourselves by just 1% each day, we would be 37 times better than we were a year ago. It's the power of compounding, of consistently making the right choices, that leads to significant growth and progress.

But it's not just about consistency. It's also about connection. In today's digital age, where social media dominates our lives, there is often a lack of genuine connection. We may have hundreds or even thousands of friends on Facebook or followers on Instagram, but how many of those connections are truly meaningful? How many of them contribute to our personal growth and well-being?

The essence of social networking is not about the number of followers or likes we have, but about the genuine connections we form with others. It's about creating a space where we can connect with the people who truly matter to us. It's about prioritizing the qualitative sense of affirmation we receive from genuine connections over the quantitative affirmation we get from likes and retweets.

This idea is exemplified by the rise and fall of the popular chat app, Houseparty. In September 2017, Houseparty announced that it had 20 million users who spent an average of 51 minutes on the app each day. Their mission was to introduce empathy into online communication, something they believed was lacking in the current environment. They wanted to go back to the essence of social networking, to create a place where people could connect with the ones they truly care about.

Houseparty focused on simultaneous actions, rather than individual actions that happen at different times. It aimed to bring people together in real-time, fostering a sense of connection and community. And their target audience, predominantly young people, embraced this concept. According to Houseparty, 60% of their audience was 24 years old or younger.

So, what can we learn from the concept of consistency, connection, and the rise of Houseparty? Here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Be consistent in your actions: Whether it's in your personal or professional life, consistency is key to achieving long-term success. Identify the small choices that can put you on the path to success and commit to doing them consistently, day in and day out.

2. Prioritize genuine connections: Instead of chasing the number of followers or likes, focus on building meaningful connections with the people who truly matter to you. Nurture those relationships and invest time and effort in maintaining them.

3. Embrace real-time interactions: In a world where everything is digital and asynchronous, make an effort to engage in real-time interactions. Whether it's through video calls, virtual meetups, or even in-person gatherings, prioritize simultaneous actions that foster a sense of connection and community.

In conclusion, the small steps we take on a daily basis can lead to giant leaps of success. By being consistent in our actions and prioritizing genuine connections, we can position ourselves for a strong future. So, let's commit to doing the right things, even when they go unnoticed, and trust that time will amplify our efforts. Remember, success is not always about the big moments; it's often about the small choices we make every day.